Edward Whiting's reflections

I met Dave and Cathy at the Summit Camp of Melbourne University Christian Union in 2008, which was my final year of undergraduate study.  I was attracted and inspired by their humble, gentle, warm personalities and impressed by their enthusiasm for international students and the Bible.  I was drawn to participate in their Cross Cultures ministry because of this and I was inspired to learn from their approach to their work.  I was happy to support them financially when they left Melbourne for Adelaide, to continue their ministry there, because I am confident that they are doing the work of the Kingdom of God.

There are a great many international students passing through Australian universities, many of whom are interested to learn about Christianity and the Bible, especially when it may not be so easy to do in the countries from which they have come.  Dave and Cathy are very effective at helping these students make friends, learn about Australia, and meet Jesus.  They work very hard to put on a weekly dinner and Bible study for them as well as organising camping trips, not knowing who will return the following week or who will hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus when they graduate and return home, but persisting with the work in faith.  Dave and Cathy train leaders how to lead Bible studies, how to engage people from other cultures, and how to be godly people.  I commend their cause as very worthy of continued support.

I live in Sydney with my wife Kelly, whom I met in Melbourne at Cross Cultures when Dave and Cathy were leading it.  We are both active in our church and still enjoy eating dinner with our friends and studying the Bible.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
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• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Paul Humphrey's reflections

In my Honours year, Dave and I planned to exercise at the gym to ‘put some muscle’ on my decidedly ‘ectomorph’ physique. Regretfully, this physical training didn’t happen (nor did the physical transformation). But far more importantly, Dave’s faithful Bible teaching - characterised by insightful application and lived out in discerning obedience - has ‘bulked up’ my life’s response to the Lord Jesus. 

I first met Dave and Cathy at a Christian Union O(rientation)-Camp. Dave was a force to be reckoned with at the table tennis table and on the cricket pitch (soccer, not so much). But more than his sporting prowess, I admired Dave’s gentle devotion to his wife Cathy, and intentional friendship building with students - including a shy, long-haired first year bloke called Paul.

In the early ‘noughties’, Dave and I met regularly to chat, chew over Bible talks and passages, pray and weigh life priorities - including career options and the perennial topic of ‘CU match-making’ (both mine and others’). With humility, sincerity and succinctness, Dave repeatedly pointed me to the God Who graciously sent His Son Jesus to live, die and rise again so we could know God as loving Father (not punishing Judge), share that most excellent news, and live forever with Him.

Catching some of this Gospel zeal, I stayed on at Melbourne Uni with Christian Union as an AFES ministry apprentice, coupled with part-time theological studies at Ridley College. Two years turned into four. In 2005 Dave surprised me with an invitation to shift ministry focus from Aussie medical students to overseas students, with the freshly launched “Cross Cultures”. The year or so I spent serving with Cross Cultures was the most daunting, thrilling, draining, humbling and Christ-exalting of my decade at Melbourne Uni! Dave’s contagious Gospel bravado helped persuade me to join Cross Cultures, and his faithful prior example and coaching equipped me to love international students by introducing them to Jesus and His family.

I now serve Jesus as a husband, father, church elder and public servant. In each of these, I see elements of the Spirit’s work, through Dave, in me. Striving (despite regular setbacks) to cherish Shell and her eternal welfare more than my selfish short-term ‘needs’. Learning to be a humble, patient, forgiven and forgiving dad who shows and shares a contagious trust in King Jesus, our Big Brother. Labouring with seasoned brothers to care for a local part of Christ’s flock, guarding the purity of the Gospel and unity of our witness. Diligently working to provide for family, and helping steward Victoria’s financial resources for the community’s welfare, under God. Watching my life and doctrine closely. Persevering for my and others’ welfare. Loving, honouring, obeying Jesus.

Dave and Cathy, thank you! Know that your words seasoned with grace, loving example and prayerful dedication to honouring Christ continue to bring our Lord Jesus praise and glory! We’re looking forward to celebrating with you - amongst the many the Spirit is calling from every corner of the planet - when Jesus returns…

-Paul Humphreys (Melb Uni, 1996-2006)

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Andy Prideaux's reflections

I first met Dave and Cathy in my first year at Uni and CU-it was also Cathy’s first year at CU. Dave was 2 years ahead (I think); an elder in CU terms. Of course since I was an Arts student and they were both science students it was forbidden that we be friends. All that ended at SUMMIT that year where I got the chance especially to get to know Dave and begin a friendship with him and later Cathy, which has been an amazing blessing in so many ways that I can’t count them. My wife Ness wants to say Amen to that too! It could have had something to do with driving quite fast in Dave’s 1960’s Valiant, coupled with sitting under the teaching of Leon Morris from 1 John.

But the main thing I wanted to say for this blog, was that first as a student, and then returning to work as part of the staff team later with Dave and Cathy, I saw first hand their deep trust in the Lord Jesus, their knowledge that His power is at work in their weakness, and that He is working all things together for good-including the difficult heart breaking things,  and their desire to serve Him and sacrificially love and serve others for Christ’s sake.

Over the last 25 years (almost) I have been encouraged, trained, spurred on, rebuked and blessed by God through their ministry to me-and as we have worked together and apart-in the lives of others (Also once when we went book shopping together Dave let me have Driver & Gray on Job even though, technically, he saw it on the shelf first. If you’ve only ever ‘found’ books on the internet it will be hard for you to appreciate the nobility of this act)

I think one clear way in which God has gifted Dave and Cathy is in their ability to perceive what’s going on in a ministry, and with wisdom suggest ways forward-‘the plan’- that enables a healthy gospel ministry to flourish long after they have gone. This was certainly the case at Melbourne Uni which I experienced first-hand when I succeeded Dave in his role there. They built on the foundation of Christ, with precious and costly stones. I have no doubt that this will be the case in SA. Dave and Cathy also recognise the variety amongst God’s people and never try to make people exactly like them in ministry-their desire is that they and others grow to be more like Jesus. This meant that although Dave and I are quite different to each other, we could work together really well. I saw this in his working dynamic with many other members of the team over the years. This quality is also clearly evident in Cathy’s ministry.

Because Dave & Cathy have accepted the challenge to move to new areas of work interstate, while the ministry they have left behind remains well supported, they don’t always get to benefit directly from this in terms of their own financial support. As a long term supporter of Dave and Cathy , can I encourage those of you who know them to consider coming on board as a partner with them in ministry, and/or by making a one of donation to help with this deficit so that they can make a fresh debt-free start in QLD.

Thank God for His faithfulness to us all in the Lord Jesus, not least through the fellowship of His people, not least through our brother Dave and sister Cathy.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Sandy Clarke's reflections

When I came to the University of Melbourne as a first year in 2001, I was bursting with questions and a desire to deepen my faith.  While God had long been working in my heart, Dave and Cathy were some of the key people He used to seize this opportunity, through the Melbourne Uni Christian Union.  They seemed undaunted by my questions but never made me feel silly for asking them.  As campus director, Dave showed leadership and vision but was also willing to entrust students like me with responsibility, particularly with things I would have been too timid to volunteer myself for.  As a result, this was the period of my life during which I received more ministry training than any other, always with the reminder that my confidence and security come from the hope held out by the gospel.  I am still blessed by this training and this reminder in my present work and ministry at university.

God has generously gifted Dave and Cathy with great capacity for ministry.  I pray that He will bridge the gap between their current financial support and this capacity.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

David Carbine's reflections

I started catching up with Dave as a mentor when I was halfway through my degree. A friend pointed out I was halfway through my degree and hadn't really thought about how my Christian faith could or should influence who I was after university. I'd taken my high-school faith into a tertiary setting and it hadn't really grown or developed like it should.

Dave connected me to CU programs - bible studies, camps and various groups - and also agreed to mentor me with regular, intentional catchups and prayer about my life, the world and Jesus. Dave was patient and gracious we discussed ( and I over-thought and under-prayed) about jobs, career, romance and everything else. Although I left uni several years ago, I recently had dinner with Dave and Cathy and experienced the same grace and love we talked about how life was headed. I'm really thankful for not only their Godly counsel, but also their genuine concern for me and all the (present and former) students in their ministry.

I am passionate about supporting the ministry of AFES in general, and Dave and Cathy Walter in particular, so more students would be able to meet Jesus. Through the real, daily, sustained and graciously-close ministry of people like them sharing their lives, I reckon more people will come to faith and stick with Jesus when the going gets confusing or tough.

Thank you Dave & Cathy, and keep serving faithfully :)

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Rob Day's reflections

In my experience of student ministry while at university, it is often exhausting and hard work, especially with the continual turnover of students each year.  The turnover means training and equipping of new leaders to take the place of the previous years students. It means building new and deep relationships each year and sometimes lacking longer term confidants and stability.

Dave and Cathy patiently endured through each transition and embraced the eager newcomers both as spiritual children and friends. Daily and weekly they challenged us as students to commit our lives to Christ and sought to thoroughly equip and train us to live for Jesus.

I'm actively serving in my local church, trying my best to be a loving husband and father to my family and am seeking to witness for Jesus in my engineering consulting firm and in all these things I can thank God for the spiritual nurture I received during my university days through the ministry of Dave and Cathy.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Dave Huynh's reflections

I was already a Christian when I started studying at Melbourne Uni over 15 years ago. However, I was an immature Christian at best. My life’s goal and passion was to become a multimillionaire and to retire by the age of 35. After spending some time at Christian Union and sitting under the teaching of Dave Walter, I was challenged to live my life not for my own comfort and pleasure, but for God’s glory and delight. Dave’s life and faithful teaching of God’s word not only challenged my assumptions about Christian discipleship but also equipped me to know God personally through his word.

Fast forward to the present day, I now have the joy and privilege to serve as the Senior Minister of Camberwell South Anglican Church. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that I am in full-time gospel ministry largely because of the ministry of Dave & Cathy during my most formative years. God has used them to literally change my life. I therefore do not hesitate to say that your support of their ministry is an excellent way to invest in the kingdom to come. I wholeheartedly commend Dave & Cathy to you.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?
Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Alex Pierce's reflections

As a first year student at Melbourne Uni in 1997, I had been a Christian for less than a year and I was homesick. My first memory of Cathy is of her welcoming me to a pizza (I think; probably) lunch. Probably as a direct consequence of this warm welcome, from Cathy and others, I maintained a strong connection with the CU over 7 or so years of intermittent university attendance. Cathy and Dave were both important parts of that: teaching, encouraging, and becoming friends. The encouragement included being asked to join the student committee, and after leaving university to join the 'regional action group' - a group that helps oversee the work of the CU. So I blame Dave, largely, for my being involved at that early stage in various committees, especially as secretary, which is an infliction I continue to bear. Both Cathy and Dave taught me important lessons about growing in Christ. Meeting someone as generous and gentle as Cathy when I was so young as a Christian was massively important; I'd never before seen that as an important part of living for Christ. It continues to be a challenge, since it's not my natural state of being. Leading a Bible study with Dave helped me in understanding Bible stories themselves but also how to convey those truths to others - and these days I'm a teacher, so it's had an impact even more broadly. And their friendship to me - young, naive, etc - is a great example in how patient, kind and generous I should be in loving my younger Christian sisters and brothers. 

Alex was at Melbourne University between 1997 and 2000. And then in 2003. And also 2009-10. These days, she teaches History and English. 

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?

Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Mardi Easton's reflections

Although it was over 13 years ago, I can still remember my very first Public Bible Talk with the Christian Union at Melbourne Uni.  I can picture Dave standing with a halo behind him (one that he had drawn on the board himself), and talking about what Christians are like.  The challenge that he gave to students who had grown up in a Christian family (of which I was one) was that childlike faith was fine if you were a child, but it just wont cut it when you're an adult.

That week 1 meeting in my first year of uni was a big challenge for me and the challenges didn't stop there.  Over my 3 years at Melbourne Uni, the Christian Union had a huge impact on me.  It helped me get to know God through Christ, it helped me understand what it meant to live for Him, it helped me grow in a desire and ability to serve His people, and it helped me set a trajectory of a life of ministry.

Both Dave (on campus) and Cathy (at Monday Night Training) pointed me to Christ and modelled what a life of humble service to Christ looked like.  I'm excited for them in their new role as regional directors in Queensland and can't wait to see what God will do through them.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?
Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!

Andy May's reflections

Last month I was reading Romans 5:1-11 at the workplace of a man from the church that I pastor. He was very encouraged by the great hope that Christians have in Christ. I came across this verse that means a great deal to me: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Twenty years ago it was Dave who opened this text with me and helped me to understand it for the first time. And for this I am forever grateful to Dave and to God. I am also grateful to the model of ministry that Dave and Cathy have been to many people including my wife Emma and I. Since graduating and working, it has been a great privilege every year to be able to pray and financially support Dave and Cathy's gospel work wherever God has taken them.

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Would you help Dave and Cathy to continue in student ministry with AFES?
Please consider:

• Giving a one-off gift to help send Dave and Cathy to Queensland debt-free*
• Signing up for their regular newsletters so that you can pray and keep in touch with them
• Sharing this with others who might help Dave and Cathy go to Queensland debt-free

* Or even better, become a regular supporter!